What audios are best for someone starting Chemo & Radiation and when should one start listening?

A woman asks what imagery audios are best for her friend, about to undergo radiation and chemotherapy, and when it’s best to start ..BR’s answer takes into account people who deny their anxiety up ‘'til the last minute..

Question:
I have a friend who is going to have radiation and chemotherapy at the same time. Which guided imagery cds would be best for him to listen to? And when is it best to start listening? Thank you. Please post.

Dear Leah,
I would encourage your friend to get both our chemotherapy and radiation therapy audios, and, if at all possible, to start listening to each one at least a few days before each procedure. There’s no harm in listening to both, once or twice a day. By doing this, your friend will be gently brainwashing himself and his body to accommodate the treatments and to cooperate with them as fully as possible. He will have no conditioning or experiences that run counter to the content on the audio program, and in this way, the audio program can mold the experience of treatment. In addition, there is some evidence to suggest it will also reduce the likelihood of severe side effects by preparing in this way, and using them consistently during treatment.

However, we’ve found that most people don’t learn about these tools until after their first or second treatment, and it seems to help them anyway. So pre-treatment listening is not strictly necessary.

For some people, it’s not even desirable. Some prefer not to think about their upcoming therapies, and they just get more anxious if they listen to an audio program that reminds them of what’s ahead. They are probably better off listening when they get there and have to face the music. It’s important to note that people who deny their anxiety tend to do very well too. So you don’t want to take that defense away by listening ahead of time, if that’s what’s working for your friend.

Psychotherapist, author and guided imagery pioneer Belleruth Naparstek is the creator of the popular Health Journeys guided imagery audio series. Her latest book on imagery and posttraumatic stress, Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal (Bantam Dell), won the Spirituality & Health Top 50 Books Award